A system and method for procuring non-production commodities for use by employees of a commercial enterprise includes associating the employee with a user profile comprising information relating a status of the employee within the enterprise, automatically generating a requisition for the employee indicating a desired commodity and quantity thereof, and, utilizing the user profile information and the desired commodity to enable employee searching of specific catalogs provided in a database storage device for indication of the desired commodity in a requisition. The system and method further provides for the automatic generation of a purchase order based on the requisition, the forwarding of the purchase order to the vendor for processing the order without a third party intervenor, and provides a mechanism for receiving vendor purchase order acknowledgments and approving vendor initiated changes to the purchase order without third party intervention.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A web-based product procurement system for an enterprise, comprising: database storage means for storing electronic catalogs comprising vendor products purchasable by a user having an associated user profile; a computer providing a GUI from which the user chooses one of a plurality of shopping methods including: (a) at least one of searching by keyword and selecting a product family, (b) browsing the electronic catalogs, and (c) ordering from a contract; means for providing a catalog purchase from at least one of the electronic catalogs when: (i) the user chooses the shopping method (a), searches by keyword, and the keyword is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, (ii) the user chooses the shopping method (a), selects a product family, and a commodity selected thereby is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, and (iii) the user chooses the shopping method (b); means for providing a preferred supplier purchase the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a preferred supplier item; and means for providing a contract purchase when the user chooses shopping method (c).
2. The web-based system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electronic catalogs include commodities having associated commodity codes, said system including means for linking the user to specific commodity codes via the user's profile.
3. The web-based system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: means for automatically generating a requisition for said user indicating a desired product and product quantity for a product indicated in said electronic catalog.
4. The web-based system as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising: means for verifying requisition information prior to purchase order generation, including table look-up means for comparing products indicated in said requisition with types of materials allowable to be ordered without buyer intervention.
5. The web-based system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said means for verifying further includes table look-up means for comparing a purchase amount for commodities indicated in said requisition with a total allowable purchase amount for commodities indicated.
6. The web-based system as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said means for verifying further includes look-up means for verifying whether a vendor indicated to provide a requested commodity is entitled to process a purchase order without buyer intervention.
7. The web-based system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein: said means for automatically generating a requisition is responsive to said user profile for restricting access to said electronic catalogs, and providing user selection of product and product quantities.
8. The web-based system as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising: means for receiving the generated requisition and automatically generating a purchase order therefrom; and means for forwarding said purchase order to a vendor without intervention by a buyer.
9. The web-based system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said vendor changes terms of said purchase order prior to accepting said purchase order, said system further including: means for checking whether the changed terms are within a pre-determined specification.
10. The web-based system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein said checking means includes table look-up means for determining whether terms changed by said vendor in said purchase order are acceptable and automatically communicating said acceptability back to said vendor without buyer intervention.
11. The web-based system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein: a full buyer purchase is provided when the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a full buyer item.
12. A method for use by employees of an enterprise for procuring commodities, comprising the steps of: associating an employee with a user profile comprising information relating a status of said employee within said enterprise; providing user access to one or more electronic catalogs for requesting a commodity, wherein specific commodities in electronic catalogs are allocated for user purchase access based on said user profile information; providing a GUI from which the employee chooses one of a plurality of shopping methods including: (a) at least one of searching by keyword and selecting a product family, (b) browsing the electronic catalogs, and (c) ordering from a contract; providing a catalog purchase from at least one of the electronic catalogs when: (i) the user chooses the shopping method (a), searches by keyword, and the keyword is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, (ii) the user chooses the shopping method (a), selects a product family, and a commodity selected thereby is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, and (iii) the user chooses the shopping method (b); providing a preferred supplier purchase when the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a preferred supplier item; and providing a contract purchase when the user chooses shopping method (c).
13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said electronic catalogs include commodities having associated commodity codes, said method further including the step of linking the user to specific commodity codes via the user's profile information.
14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further including the step of verifying requisition information prior to purchase order generation.
15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said verifying step includes comparing commodities indicated in said requisition with types of materials determined to be allowable for employee order without buyer intervention.
16. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said verifying step includes comparing purchase amount for commodities indicated in said requisition with a total allowable purchase amount for commodities indicated.
17. The method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said verifying step further includes verifying whether a vendor indicated to provide said requested commodity is entitled to process a purchase order without buyer intervention.
18. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further including the step of transmitting said generated purchase order to said vendor for approval thereof.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said vendor changes terms of said purchase order prior to accepting said purchase order, said method further including the step of transmitting said purchase order with changes in a purchase order acknowledgment.
20. The method as claimed in claim 19 , further including a checking step for determining whether terms changed by said vendor in said purchase order acknowledgment are within a pre-determined specification and automatically communicating said acceptability back to said vendor without buyer intervention.
21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising: receiving a generated requisition and automatically generating a purchase order therefrom; and forwarding said purchase order to a vendor without intervention by a buyer.
22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: automatically generating a requisition for said user indicating a desired commodity and commodity quantity for a commodity indicated in said electronic catalog.
23. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: restricting access to said electronic catalogs responsive to said user profile, and providing user selection of commodity and commodity quantities responsive to said user profile.
24. The method of claim 12 , further comprising: providing a full buyer purchase when the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a full buyer item.
25. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for procuring commodities for use by employees of an enterprise, said method steps comprising: associating an employee with a user profile comprising information relating a status of said employee within said enterprise; providing user access to one or more electronic catalogs for requesting a commodity, wherein specific commodities in electronic catalogs are allocated for user purchase access based on said user profile information; providing a GUI from which the employee chooses one of a plurality of shopping methods including: (a) at least one of searching by keyword and selecting a product family, (b) browsing the electronic catalogs, and (c) ordering from a contract; providing a catalog purchase from at least one of the electronic catalogs when: (i) the user chooses the shopping method (a), searches by keyword, and the keyword is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, (ii) the user chooses the shopping method (a), selects a product family, and a commodity selected thereby is associated with the at least one of the electronic catalogs, and (iii) the user chooses the shopping method (b); providing a preferred supplier purchase when the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a preferred supplier item; and providing a contract purchase when the user chooses shopping method (c).
26. The program storage device of claim 25 , wherein the method steps further comprise: providing a full buyer purchase when the user chooses at least one of shopping methods (a) and (b), and a commodity selected thereby is classified as a full buyer item.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
November 30, 1999
July 25, 2006
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